


Dizzy In Your Orbit

by KaelinaLovesLomaris



Series: Whumptober 2019 - FFXV [10]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), Gen, Hurt Noctis Lucis Caelum, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of alcohol, Poisoning, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21753484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaelinaLovesLomaris/pseuds/KaelinaLovesLomaris
Summary: There’s an assassination attempt at a party.Part of my collection of Whumptober 2019 prompts.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Regis Lucis Caelum
Series: Whumptober 2019 - FFXV [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1505405
Comments: 6
Kudos: 160





	Dizzy In Your Orbit

**Author's Note:**

> Day 21 Prompt: Laced Drink

Noctis hated social functions. He especially hated social functions he was forced to attend in an official capacity, because it meant he had to be visible and couldn’t slip off halfway through the party. Prompto was never allowed in to alleviate his boredom, and when Ignis and Gladio were in attendance, they were always far too focused on making sure no one tried anything with him to be good company.

He wandered away from the crowds, Gladio at his heels like an oversized shadow, and found himself a spot on the upper tier of the Caelum Via roof by the aquarium. It was a massive, multi-storied cylinder, the centerpiece of the top few levels of the hotel, and Noctis was far more interested in watching the fish than interacting with any of the politicians at the party.

They swam in lazy circles, almost hypnotic in their movements, and better choreographed than most dancers Noctis had ever seen. Each school of different species moved fluidly as one, somehow never bumping into any of the others, and small leviathans twisted elegantly around the coral structures. Noctis wondered if they were as bored as he was.

“Don’t wander too far off, Noct,” Gladio murmured to him. Noctis glanced up at him, tearing his eyes away from the fish.

“I’m not. I’m still fully in view if somebody wants to come talk to me that badly, but at least if I’m up here, people have to go _out of their way_ to get to me. I’m just trying to make it as inconvenient for them as it is for me.” He grinned wolfishly, and Gladio rolled his eyes.

Noctis returned to leaning against the railing, his back to the party. The low hum of conversation was already becoming annoying, and he had several hours yet to endure.

He stole a glance at Gladio. He was standing just to Noctis’s left at parade rest, hands clasped loosely behind his back. He pulled off the finely tailored black suit better than Noctis ever could, even if he was sure his Shield was just as uncomfortable as he was. His eyes roamed the crowd, probably scanning for any potential threats, and Noctis sighed. How Gladio’s stress levels weren’t off the charts, he’d never understand.

“Do you ever relax?”

Gladio frowned. “I’m here to make sure you stay safe,” he said, as if that was answer enough. It was Noctis’s turn to roll his eyes.

“I’ll let you know if anyone tries to push me off the balcony.”

“Not funny.”

Noctis turned around, searching through the crowd until he found his dad. He was talking animatedly with one of his council members, his Shield nearby but also engaged in a conversation. Noctis gestured towards them. “See, Clarus is enjoying himself.”

“His Majesty can take care of himself. And my dad is paying him closer attention than it seems.”

“I can take care of myself!” Noctis protested. The look Gladio shot him said he disagreed. Noctis pouted.

“Maybe if you didn’t wander so far away from the proceedings, I would have something to do other than stand next to you.”

“You always just hover regardless of where I’m standing. And I’m making your job easier. No one can sneak up on us here,” Noctis pointed out. Gladio huffed.

Noctis watched his father laugh at something his council member said. It was a real laugh, one that had his head tilting back and his eyes half closed. Noctis smiled. His dad didn’t laugh enough these days, so it was good to see. And there was a fond smile on Clarus’s face that Noctis was pretty sure was directed at Regis.

Noctis noticed, not for the first time but more obviously now that Gladio had pointed it out, how Clarus reoriented himself every time the king shifted, always making sure his charge was in view but that his presence wasn’t stifling. There was a natural, easy flow to their dance, and Noctis wondered if he and Gladio would ever reach that sort of equilibrium.

He had never seen his dad argue with his Shield the way Noctis and Gladio did. They were completely comfortable around each other, with none of the strained tension present between their sons, and Regis never seemed to be annoyed at Clarus’s constant presence.

Of course, Noctis and Gladio had gotten off to a rough start, and he was sure they weren’t the only prince and Shield in their families’ history to not be perfectly matched, but Noctis couldn’t help the occasional sting of jealousy for what his dad and Clarus had.

“You alright?” Gladio asked, a note of concern in his voice, and Noctis shook away the thoughts. Gladio _did_ care about him, in his own pushy, overbearing way.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He turned around again, not wanting to watch his dad anymore, and focused his attention back on the aquarium.

Noctis looked up as a waiter approached him with a single glass of champagne on his tray. He offered it to Noctis, and he took it absentmindedly, more out of polite habit than any true interest in the drink.

Noctis swirled the pale liquid around in the delicate glass. He didn’t care much for alcohol, didn’t like having his senses dulled or impaired in any way. But a few sips of champagne was hardly going to affect him, and it might help him to not look completely bored, which was something Ignis had said he should avoid at all costs. And Noctis knew from experience that looking bored at a party was an invitation for bootlicking politicians to invade his personal space and start inane conversations.

He took a sip of the champagne. It was some of the better stuff he’d ever tasted. Unsurprisingly, considering they were the ones who had supplied it, but it still wasn’t something Noctis would seek out.

The fish continued their synchronized swimming as Noctis slowly sipped at his champagne. He was pleased that his isolating stunt appeared to be working. No one had approached him yet, and even though it wouldn’t take too long for the aquarium to get boring to stare at, it was better than having to engage in conversation.

Pain suddenly stabbed through Noctis’s head. He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut and instinctively reaching up to clutch at his head. The glass slipped from his hand, the shatter loud against the backdrop of distant conversations, and Gladio’s hands were instantly on his shoulders, steadying him.

“Noct! Are you okay?”

Noctis groaned in response, the throbbing in his head intensifying. He grabbed at Gladio’s jacket, fighting against sudden nausea as he stumbled into his Shield’s chest. Gladio caught him and guided him a few steps over to a bench, sitting him down on it. Noctis immediately hunched over, one hand pressed to his head, the other still clutching at Gladio’s lapel.

Gladio dropped to his knees in front of Noctis and grabbed his chin, forcing Noctis’s head up.

“Noct, look at me.” Noctis opened his eyes to meet Gladio’s frightened gaze, wincing at the lance of pain the dim lighting sent through his head. “Six, Noct, your pupils are huge!”

Gladio’s eyes strayed to the spilled champagne and his face paled.

“Oh no…”

Sudden fear gripped Noctis as he realized the same thing Gladio had. A wave of dizziness crashed over him, and he slumped off the bench into Gladio’s surprised arms. It was too much effort to remain upright anyways. He just wanted to curl up until the pain in his head stopped.

It was a tearing pain, sharp stabs that were nearly enough to drown out the nausea in his stomach. It was far worse than any migraine he had ever experienced and he just wanted it to _stop_.

Dimly, Noctis was aware of Gladio talking into his earpiece, something about poison and medical attention. Then Gladio’s hands were back on him, brushing his hair back, loosening his tie, nudging him onto his side.

“I need you to stay awake, Noct. Talk to me. How are you feeling?”

“Like crap,” Noctis managed. Even talking hurt. Moving his jaw was like someone pounding a nail into his skull.

Another brush against his face. “You’re burning up.”

Footsteps, accompanied by the distinctive tap of his dad’s cane, made Noctis curl up tighter. He didn’t want his dad to see him like this.

There was a murmur of quiet voices, then Gladio’s hands left him. Noctis whimpered at the loss of the comforting touch, but there was the scrape of his dad’s brace against the floor, and new hands replaced Gladio’s on his shoulder and face.

“Noctis?” The familiar voice sent a wash of comfort through him, even as he hated knowing how worried his dad must be. He reached out and Regis grasped his hand. Noctis took strength from it, as he had a decade ago when his dad had sat at his bedside all through his recovery. His dad meant safety, meant all would be well no matter how bad things seemed.

“Help is coming. Stay awake, son.”

He wanted to scream as his body was jostled, but even that would take too much effort, and the following comfort of being cradled in his dad’s arms helped in some small way to ward off the edge of the pain. Gentle fingers combed through his hair, magic in his touch that had nothing to do with the Crystal, and Noctis found the strength to stay awake until medical help arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love that stupid aquarium. I have no idea how often official state events were held at that hotel, but I don’t care. It’s a gorgeous setting. I would spend a lot of time watching the fish, and thinking about how awful it would be to clean that tank.
> 
> Come say hi on tumblr at [prince-noctisluciscaelum](https://prince-noctisluciscaelum.tumblr.com)!

**Author's Note:**

> I've got some vague ideas for a second chapter to this, so that might happen someday...
> 
> Come say hi on tumblr at [prince-noctisluciscaelum](https://prince-noctisluciscaelum.tumblr.com)!


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